Risk Management & Compliance Director

Why Orchard Place

At Orchard Place, we are dedicated to building a brighter future for children and families through compassionate care, early intervention, and community integration. Join our team and be part of a mission-driven organization that values diversity, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Job Title: Risk Management & Compliance Director

Location: Des Moines, Iowa

Schedule for this position: Full-Time | Exempt | 40 hours per week, flexible hours may be required to meet organizational needs.

Position Overview

Orchard Place is seeking a Director Risk Management & Data Strategy to lead our organizational risk management efforts, regulatory compliance programs, and data-driven innovation strategy. This high-impact role bridges risk, quality, and emerging technologies-including artificial intelligence (AI)-to help us deliver stronger outcomes and smarter operations. Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, this is a unique opportunity to join a mission-driven leadership team and guide how we manage risk, improve compliance, and use data and automation to drive sustainable impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Designs, manages, and continually improves Orchard Places Risk Management ERM Framework, ensuring proactive risk identification, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting across the organization.
• Chairs and leads the Risk Management Committee, develops meeting agendas, prepares risk reports, tracks mitigation plans, and ensures timely communication to senior leadership.
• Coordinates governance support for the executive management team by providing reports, compliance data, risk mitigation strategies, and action plan status updates.
• Develops, implements, and oversees the Orchard Place Compliance Program, ensuring alignment with all federal, state, and local regulatory and accreditation requirements, including Joint Commission standards.
• Acts as a subject matter expert and internal consultant to program leaders and staff, providing practical solutions to address compliance findings, audit results, risk events, and regulatory inquiries.
• Leads project management efforts for corrective action plans, business continuity initiatives, regulatory audits, accreditation surveys, and internal readiness assessments.
• Oversees and conducts internal audits, compliance surveys, and readiness reviews, preparing comprehensive reports with risk ratings, improvement plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Develops and maintains organization-wide business continuity and emergency response plans, facilitates periodic testing, and scenario-based exercises to assess readiness.
• Partners with senior leaders and staff to promote a culture of continuous improvement, risk awareness, and quality care delivery.
• Serves as the primary point of contact with regulatory agencies and accreditation bodies for compliance surveys, investigations, and audits.
• Provides training to employees and leadership on regulatory compliance, risk management, and quality improvement practices.
• Leads the exploration, adoption, and operationalization of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and emerging technologies to support Orchard Place risk management and regulatory compliance-emphasizing cost savings, efficiency, and speed to execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required; Business Admin, Risk Management, Healthcare Admin, or related; Masters degree preferred.
• 7 years of experience in risk management, quality assurance, or healthcare compliance.
• Knowledge of Joint Commission standards, human services regulations, and project management.
• Strong communication and analytical skills-you can translate complex data into action.
• Proven success in implementing risk frameworks and leading organizational change.
• Comfort with tech tools and emerging technologies.
• Experience with AI integration, automation platforms, and data visualization tools.
• Ability to lead change management efforts and cross-team implementation plans.
• Familiarity with quality improvement methods and business continuity planning.
• Criminal and abuse registry checks completed as required by Orchard Places licensing and accreditation standards.